Mass Effect 2 [Preview]

Last in the line-up of EA games we got to sample is arguably the most anticipated of the lot – Mass Effect 2. Once again, the build on showcase is the demo from this year’s E3. This was a very short demo with about 20 minutes of game play, which included a couple of NPC conversations and an enemy encounter.

The demo starts off with Shepard and his crew just outside a pub on what appeared to be an alien planet. Traversing through the location, you eventually encounter Garrus Vakarian—the Turian party member from the first Mass Effect game. This counter eventually leads to a battle in which you and your party have a clear advantage from a vantage point, while waves of enemies attempt to crossover a bridge to reach you.

This revealed (or rather confirmed) two of the most striking changes in the game, so far. Weapons now have limited (and collectible) ammo system, which has been used to replace weapons heating system from the first game. Second significant change is the health system which now automatically regenerates over time, effectively eliminating need for bio-gels seen in the first game. Another noteworthy change is additional character animations, especially with the cover system. The battle in the demo was too short and frantic to decide if the additional animation has an effect on actual game play.

Visually, the game looks just like the last one—barring absence of texture pop-ins, which was one of the major technical issue last time around. Now, let’s just hope that the denizens of Mass Effect universe have gone ahead and upgraded their elevator systems with something quicker. The game’s European release is slated for late January next year—so it should hit our shores in early February, 2010.